Cannabis Used by Up to 95% of Endometriosis Patients for Pain, But No Controlled Trials Exist
Across 9 studies with 1,787 participants, pain was the primary reason up to 96% of endometriosis patients used cannabis, but no controlled trials exist.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Pain indication: 57.3-95.5%. Inhaled: 51.6-80.3%. Ingested: 25-76.9%. Most studies found improvement in some patients. Adverse events: 10.2-52%, mainly euphoria and dry mouth. All 9 completed studies were cross-sectional.
Key Numbers
9 completed studies, 1,787 participants. Pain: 57.3-95.5%. Inhaled: 51.6-80.3%. AEs: 10.2-52%. 4 ongoing studies.
How They Did This
Scoping review of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE. 13 studies (9 completed, 4 ongoing). 1,787 participants across cross-sectional surveys.
Why This Research Matters
Endometriosis affects 6-10% of reproductive-age women with limited options. Many self-medicate with cannabis but no RCTs exist.
The Bigger Picture
The gap between high self-medication rates and zero RCTs is striking. Ongoing studies may begin to fill this.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
All cross-sectional surveys. No placebo data. Self-reported efficacy. Wide methodological variation.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will ongoing studies include RCTs?
- ?Which formulations work best?
- ?How does cannabis compare to current treatments?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Up to 95.5% of endometriosis patients used cannabis for pain
- Evidence Grade:
- Scoping review of only cross-sectional surveys.
- Study Age:
- 2026 review
- Original Title:
- A Scoping Systematic Review of Cannabis Use in Endometriosis.
- Published In:
- The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology, 66(1), e70081 (2026)
- Authors:
- McLaren, Kindha, Erridge, Simon(22), Sodergren, Mikael H(20)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08478
Evidence Hierarchy
Maps out the available research on a broad question.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis help endometriosis pain?
Many patients report it does, but all evidence comes from surveys. No controlled trials have tested this.
How is cannabis used for endometriosis?
Mostly inhaled (52-80%) or ingested (25-77%).
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08478APA
McLaren, Kindha; Erridge, Simon; Sodergren, Mikael H. (2026). A Scoping Systematic Review of Cannabis Use in Endometriosis.. The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology, 66(1), e70081. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.70081
MLA
McLaren, Kindha, et al. "A Scoping Systematic Review of Cannabis Use in Endometriosis.." The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.70081
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A Scoping Systematic Review of Cannabis Use in Endometriosis..." RTHC-08478. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mclaren-2026-a-scoping-systematic-review
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.